One, two, three, four, five, six — right down the line, from the top of the depth chart to the bottom, the team seems to have a tight end who can step into the game and make an impact.​

​

“I’ve never been around this kind of group,” Gates said last month during the Chargers’ offseason workout program. “We all make plays. It’s our little motto.”​

​

So, then, it’s about to get interesting.​

​

Training camp is approaching with rookies reporting to Chargers Park one week from today. They’ll hit the field July 23, and veterans will report the 25th. The first full-squad practice will be on July 26.​

​

The Chargers have trumpeted their improved speed and depth after an active offseason in which they added 18 unrestricted free agents and seven draft picks. Depth breeds competition, and of all the roster spots that have been bolstered, no position may run deeper than tight end.​

​

Gates and Brad Taylor were the group’s only members when free agency began March 13.​

​

Then the Bolts hit the wire, re-signing Randy McMichael and Kory Sperry and bringing in Dante Rosario, who logged 21 of his 24 career starts with the Panthers. In the fourth round of April’s draft, they drafted Ladarius Green, whom Gates calls a “phenomenal athlete.”​

​

“It’s a real deep and really good group of tight ends,” quarterback Philip Rivers said last month. “I don’t think there’s a better group around. I know other offenses do a lot with that position, but we really demand a lot of them, from a formation standpoint, a motion standpoint. ...​

​

“It’s fun working with them. They can all do so much. They all complement each other so well. It’s a really good mix.”​

​

The tight ends blend experience — McMichael, in his 11th season, and Gates are the most experienced players on the Chargers offense — with youth. Taylor and rookie Green have no career NFL snaps.​

​

Sperry, who was a Division I recruit and two-time state champion in basketball during high school, has seen 283 snaps over the past two seasons.​

​

“The group at tight end, we could put together a heck of a road basketball team,” coach Norv Turner said. “When you look at Kory, they’re all good basketball players, and that tells you something about their athleticism. Rosario would be the power forward of the group, and he’s a guy who’s really impressed me with his ability to catch and his intelligence.​

​

“We’re going to be able to do some things out of multiple tight end sets. We’ve got a very good combination of different types of people in there.”​

​

The only question is, what happens now?​

​

Having six tight ends is good, but the Chargers can't keep them all.​

​

Gates, who calls Sperry and Taylor "under the radar," said his teammates don't need to worry.​

​

“Unfortunately, the way it’s structured, you dress 46,” Gates said. “You have a 53-man roster. It’s just so hard. ...​

​

“I’ve told them this: The one thing that I can say is that everyone in this room is going to be playing professional football this year.​

​

Whether or not it’s for the San Diego Chargers, I don’t know. Who knows? But I guarantee you everyone will be on someone’s roster. So talented.”​

Man, most of you would just jettison every solid vet we have. I'm glad you guys are making the decisions. McMichael is a solid vet backup. He's an excellent pass protector and a good run blocker. He runs precise routes and catches everything thrown his way. No, he does not have elite speed or quickness, but that's why he's a backup and not being paid more. Not every player on the roster is going to be a superstar. Some guys, like McMichael, just quietly do the work that enables the superstars to excel.

Man, most of you would just jettison every solid vet we have. I'm glad you guys are making the decisions. McMichael is a solid vet backup. He's an excellent pass protector and a good run blocker. He runs precise routes and catches everything thrown his way. No, he does not have elite speed or quickness, but that's why he's a backup and not being paid more. Not every player on the roster is going to be a superstar. Some guys, like McMichael, just quietly do the work that enables the superstars to excel.

Click to expand...

Your team has to have "role players" on it to be successful, because otherwise you can't afford the contracts for your stars. At the same time, the other side of the coin of supporting/affording your stars is the presence of young players. Ultimately, aside from your star players, you're balancing limited potential, coupled with experience and proficiency, with high potential, but low skills. If you don't develop young players, then you don't get the opportunity to have home-grown (i.e. loyal and less expensive) stars on your roster, however doing so comes with the opportunity cost of losing some of those steady but unspectacular veterans. To me, when you're looking at some of the guys on the team you have to ask yourself, has this guy peaked, and if so, which skills does he bring with him to make him better than a potential laden younger player?

I don't know if McMichael will be on the team this year, simply because he now faces diminished athletic ability, and a skillset that isn't woefully difficult to replace.

I'm still thinking the H-back is going to be reintroduced, another way to pound the defense and still move up-field in chunks with brute power is a wonderful thing. Gate's, Rosario, Taylor and Green, just my best guess.

I agree but which 4?. I'm with most of you on Randy, I'm not sure he's got much left. I might go with Gates, Rosario, Green and Taylor.

Taylor beats Sperry for his blocking ability, the other 3 TEs while fantastic receivers offer little in the blocking dept .

Click to expand...

I'm going to write a whole article on camp battles but my $0.02 is it'll be (in this order): Gates, McMichael, Rosario, Green. Rosario unless he just bombs his try out is a great addition. Green is too valuable and too needed to try and sneak onto a practice squad. And McMichael is a steady participant that deserves to be on the roster unless he slows down to nothing.

Even assuming injury history (though Gates has looked better than at any time in the last three years), there's just so much talent and so much of a push for a two TE set, that it makes sense to carry four tight ends

Even assuming injury history (though Gates has looked better than at any time in the last three years), there's just so much talent and so much of a push for a two TE set, that it makes sense to carry four tight ends

Click to expand...

yes, And this will give Clary a little more help on passing downs and rushing downs and ST and...